Methods and systems to screen one or more individuals at a non-law enforcement facility

ABSTRACT

An example method to screen one or more individuals at a non-law enforcement facility includes generating a first request at an access point. The first request includes one or more identifying information for the one or more individuals. The access point is associated with, located at, and/or located near the non-law enforcement facility. The access point includes a first communication transceiver. The method also includes, with the first communication transceiver, transmitting the first request to at least one communication server that is not under law enforcement only control. The method also includes, with the first communication transceiver, receiving at least a portion of a local result of a search of at least one local database.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/470,978 filed on Mar. 14, 2017, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein, in its entirety, by this reference.

BACKGROUND

Certain locations may require one or more individuals to be screenedprior to entering the location. However, many of these locations do nothave direct access to government databases that can be used to screenthe individuals. These locations may require the individuals to enteridentifying information into logs. These locations can request local lawenforcement agencies to check the government databases on their behalf.However, such requests can be time consuming and overburden governmentresources.

As such, locations that require individuals to be screened prior toentering the location and/or groups (e.g., local law enforcementagencies) that perform screening services continue to seek new ways toscreen individuals.

SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods and systems toscreen one or more individuals at a non-law enforcement facility andrelated systems. In an embodiment, a method generating a first requestat an access point. The first request includes one or more identifyinginformation for the one or more individuals. The access point located atand/or near the non-law enforcement facility. The access point includingmemory storage medium including one or more instructions stored therein,at least one processor configured to execute the one or moreinstructions, one or more input devices configured to receive the one ormore identifying information, a display, and a first communicationtransceiver coupled to the processor. The method also includes, with thefirst communication transceiver, transmitting the first request to atleast one communication server that is not under law enforcement onlycontrol. The method also includes, with the first communicationtransceiver, receiving at least a portion of a local result of a searchof at least one local database that is not under law enforcement onlycontrol.

In an embodiment, a method to screen one or more individuals at anon-law enforcement facility is disclosed. The method includes receivinga first request from an access point at a communication server that isnot under law enforcement only control. The first request includes oneor more identifying information of the one or more individuals. Thecommunication server includes a central processing unit and a secondcommunication transceiver. The second communication transceiver iscommunicably coupled to the access point. The method also includes, withthe second communication transceiver, transmitting at least the one ormore identifying information of the one or more individuals to at leastone government database. Finally, the method includes, with the secondcommunication transceiver, receiving a government result of a search ofthe at least one government database. The government result includingidentifying information stored on the at least one government databasethat at least partially matched the one or more identifying informationof the one or more individuals and information associated with theidentifying information stored on the at least one government database.

In an embodiment, a system to screen one or more individuals from anon-law enforcement facility is disclosed. The system includes an accesspoint at and/or near the non-law enforcement facility. The access pointincludes memory storage medium including one or more instructions storedtherein, at least one processor configured to execute the one or moreinstructions, one or more input devices configured to receive the one ormore identifying information, a display, and a first communicationtransceiver coupled to the processor. The system also includes acommunication server that is not under law enforcement only control. Thecommunication server including a central processing unit and a secondcommunication transceiver coupled to the first communicationtransceiver. Finally, the system includes at least one local databaseoperably coupled to at least one of the access point and/or thecommunication server. The at least one local database stored on memorystorage medium of a general purpose or special purpose computer. The atleast one local database is configured to be searched to find matchesbetween the plurality of government results stored thereon and the oneor more identifying information received by the at least one localdatabase. Each of the government results includes identifyinginformation used to generate the government result and informationassociated with the identifying information used to generate thegovernment result that was found during a previous search of at leastone government database.

Features from any of the disclosed embodiments may be used incombination with one another, without limitation. In addition, otherfeatures and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration of thefollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure,wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similarelements or features in different views or embodiments shown in thedrawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system that is used to one or morescreen individuals, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method to screen one or more individualsusing the system of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the access point.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method to screen one or more individuals thesystem of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from the perspective ofthe access point. For ease of illustration, FIG. 3 has been split intoFIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method to screen one or more individualsusing the system of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the communication server.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method to screen individuals using thesystem of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from the perspective ofthe communication server. For ease of illustration, FIG. 5 has beensplit into FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method to screen one or more individualsusing the system of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the local database.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method to screen one or more individualsusing the system of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the government database.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method to screen one or more individualsusing the system of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the law enforcement agency.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a system that is used to screen one ormore individuals, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method to screen one or more individualsusing the system of FIG. 9, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the local law enforcement agency server. For ease ofillustration, FIG. 10 has been split into FIGS. 10A and 10B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods and systems toscreen one or more individuals at a non-law enforcement facility (e.g.,school, critical infrastructure facility, a government or non-governmentresearch facility, manufacturing facility, hotel, etc.) and relatedsystems. In an embodiment, a method includes generating a first requestat an access point. The first request includes one or more identifyinginformation for the one or more individuals (e.g., visitors). The accesspoint is associated with, located at, and/or located near the non-lawenforcement facility. The access point includes memory storage mediumincluding one or more instructions stored therein, at least oneprocessor configured to execute the one or more instructions, one ormore input devices configured to receive the one or more identifyinginformation, a display, and a first communication transceiver coupled tothe processor. The method also includes, with the first communicationtransceiver, transmitting the first request to at least onecommunication server that is not under law enforcement only control. Themethod also includes, with the first communication transceiver,receiving at least a portion of a local result of a search of at leastone local database. As used herein, “at least a portion of the localresult” includes one or more of the entirety of the actual local result,a portion of the local government result, or information derived from atleast a portion of the actual local result.

In an embodiment, the method can further include comparing theidentifying information of the first request against information storedon at least one government database. For example, the method can includetransmitting the identifying information from the communication serverto the government database that is within direct governmental controland searching the government database using the identifying information.The government result of the search of the government database can bereceived by the communication server. The communication server can thentransmit at least a portion of the government result to the accesspoint. As used herein, “at least a portion of the government result”includes at least one the entirety of the actual government result, aportion of the actual government result, or information derived from atleast a portion of the actual government result (e.g., a “pending,”“cleared,” or “not cleared” message, as will be discussed in more detailbelow). In an embodiment, at least a portion of the government resultcan be stored on the local database.

The methods and systems disclosed herein are used to screen (e.g.,restrict or grant access) individuals as or before they attempt to enterone or more non-law enforcement facilities. For example, the non-lawenforcement facility can be a school and the methods and systemsdisclosed herein are used to restrict access to individuals who pose arisk to the school (e.g., convicted sex offenders, wanted persons,etc.). In another example, the non-law enforcement facility can be amanufacturing facility and the methods and systems disclose herein areused to restrict access to individuals who pose a risk to the facility(e.g., wanted persons, known violent offenders, etc.). In anotherexample, the location can be a non-law enforcement government facilityand the methods and systems disclose herein are used to restrict accessto individuals who pose a risk to the facility (e.g., suspectedterrorists, etc.). As used herein, a non-law enforcement facility doesnot include police departments, sheriff's offices, law enforcement andpublic safety communications centers, fire departments, private securityagencies, and governmental authorities (e.g., governmental authoritiesother than critical infrastructure facilities such as power generationplants, schools, etc.).

In an embodiment, the methods and systems disclosed herein allowpartners (to indirectly access government database through sponsors. A“partner,” as used herein, refers to individuals, business, governmentagencies, or other entities that, typically, do not have direct accessto at least one government database. In an example, the “partner” caninclude an individual located in, a manager of, an business owner of, aproperty owner of, or any other interested party of the non-lawenforcement facility. In an example, the “partner” can include a thirdparty, that is, a non-law enforcement entity. A “sponsor,” as usedherein, refers to individuals, government agencies, business, or otherentities that, typically, have access to at least one governmentdatabase and can provide access to the at least one government databaseto the partner. Examples of a “sponsor” include local or state police,the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or other local, state, or federallaw enforcement agencies. As such, a partner can enable a sponsor to usethe methods and systems disclosed herein to access a government databaseusing the access point at the non-law enforcement facility. In anembodiment, a partner is required to have at least one sponsor to accessthe government database.

The methods and systems disclose herein amount to significantimprovements in the computer-rooted field of performing searches of agovernment database by a partner. For example, the methods and systemsdisclosed herein allow the partner to screen individuals usinggovernment databases without violating applicable statutes, codes, oradministrative procedures. Additionally, the methods and systemsdisclosed herein allow non-law enforcement facility (e.g., an person ator near the non-law enforcement facility) to screen individuals quicklyand without overburdening government resources. For instance, the localdatabase search can be used to screen an individual without usinggovernment resources. Further, the government databases can be accessedwithout requiring assistance from law enforcement personnel.Additionally, in some embodiments, a “cleared” message can be providedto the access point without the assistance of law enforcement personnel.In another example, the methods and systems disclosed herein result in acontinuously learning system because the local database can store atleast a portion of the results of previous searches of the governmentdatabases. As such, the local database can provide information regardingthe individual without needing to access or search the governmentdatabases.

The devices disclosed herein (e.g., the access point, the communicationserver, the local database, the government database, etc.) can includegeneral purpose or special purpose computing systems, environments, orconfigurations. Examples of general purpose or special purpose computingsystem environments or configurations that can be used include personalcomputers, laptop computers, server computers, mobile phones and/orother mobile devices (e.g., tablets), minicomputers, microprocessorsystems, multiprocessor systems, mainframe computers, programmableconsumer electronics, networked computers, distributed computingenvironments (e.g., remote processing devices that are linked via anetwork) that include any of the above devices, or any other similardevices. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may belocated in both local and remote computers.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system 100 that is used to one or morescreen individuals, according to an embodiment. The system 100 includesan access point 102 that is at and/or near the non-law enforcementfacility. The access point 102 is configured to receive identifyinginformation of the one or more individuals that are being screened. Theaccess point 102 is coupled to and configured to transmit theidentifying information to at least one communication server 104. In theillustrated embodiment, the communication server 104 is coupled to andconfigured to transmit information between the access point 102, the atleast one local database 108, the at least one government database 114,and/or other entities (e.g., law enforcement agency 116). In anembodiment, the communication server 104 transfers the identifyinginformation to the local database 108 and the local database 108 issearched. The communication server 104 can transmit the at least aportion of a local result of the search of the local database 108 to theaccess point 102. In an embodiment, the communication server 104transmits the identifying information to the government database 114.The government database 114 can include at least one of Criminal JusticeInformation Services (“CJIS”) databases, the National Crime InformationCenter (“NCIC”) databases, other federal criminal databases, at leastone municipal or state criminal database, or other municipal, state, orfederal databases that have restricted access. The government database114 can be searched to determine if there are any at least partialmatches between the identifying information and the information storedtherein. The government result of the search can be transmitted to thecommunication server 104. The communication server 104 parses (e.g.,analyzes) the government result to determine if the informationcontained in the government report is or is not associated with one ormore entrance criteria. The entrance criteria can be pre-defined by thesponsor and/or the partner and identifying information that matches atleast one of the entrance criteria can indicate that the individualshould not be emitted into the non-law enforcement facility. In anembodiment, the communication server 104 determines that the governmentresult is not associated with the entrance criteria. In such anembodiment, the communication server 104 transmits a message a “cleared”message (e.g., any suitable message indicating that the governmentresult is not associated with an entrance criteria) to the access point102. In an embodiment, the second server 104 determines that thegovernment result is associated with the entrance criteria or if thecommunication server 104 is unsure if the government result isassociated with the entrance criteria. In such an embodiment, accordingto current government restrictions, the communication server 104transmits at least a portion of (e.g., all of) the government result toan law enforcement agency 116 and the communication server 104 cantransmit a “pending” message (e.g., any suitable message indicating thatthe government results is being reviewed by the law enforcement agency116) to the access point 102. The law enforcement agency 116 can parsethe government result received thereby to determine if the governmentresult is or is not associated with the entrance criteria and transmit a“cleared” message or “not cleared” message (e.g., any suitable messageindicating that the government result is associated with the entrancecriteria) to the communication server 104 responsive to their review.The communication server 104 can then transmit a “cleared” or “notcleared” message to the access point 102. The communication server 104can save at least some of the information generated during the method inthe local database 108.

The access point 102 is configured to receive information from anindividual (e.g., visitor to the non-law enforcement facility) andconvey the information to the communication server 104. As such, theaccess point 102 can include memory storage medium (“MSM”) 118, at leastone processor 120, and one or more input devices 122. The MSM 118includes one or more instructions (e.g., computer readable instructions,data structures, program modules, and other data for use in a computer)stored therein. The instructions can include programs that, whenexecuted by the processor 120, are used to at least one of generate afirst request directing the communication server 104 to transmit atleast the identifying information to at least the local database 108,generate a second request directing the communication server 104 totransmit at least the identifying information to the government database114, etc. The MSM 118 can also store information thereon (e.g., theidentifying information). The input devices 122 allow a person using theaccess point 102 (e.g., a person at or near the non-law enforcementfacility) to input the identifying information into the access point102. For example, the inputs 122 can include a mouse, keyboard, a touchscreen, etc. In another example, the inputs 122 can include a scanner, acamera, or other image capturing device that is configured to image adocument that includes the identifying information thereon (e.g., adriver's license, a birth certificate, a passport, a visa, etc.). Insuch an example, the MSM 118 can include recognition software that, whenexecuted by the processor 120, can extract the relevant information fromthe captured image. In an example, the access point 102 can include atleast one of a computer terminal, a mobile device, a web socketconnection, web application, a mobile application, or another suitabledevice or suitable software.

The access point 102 can include a display 124 that is configured toconvey information to the person using the access point 102. The accesspoint 102 can also include a user interface 126 that conveys informationthrough the display 124 and allows the person using the access point 102to interact with the access point 102. For example, the user interface126 can convey what identifying information has been inputted, theresult of the search of the local or government database 114, etc.

In an embodiment, the access point 102 is configured to receiveidentifying information for one or more individuals that are at or nearthe non-law enforcement facility. In such an embodiment, the accesspoint 102 can be located at an entrance to, a gate of, a lobby of, orreception of the non-law enforcement facility. As such, the access point102 is located at a location that can control access to the rest of thenon-law enforcement facility.

In an embodiment, the access point 102 is configured to receiveidentifying information for one or more individuals before the one ormore individuals are at or near the non-law enforcement facility (e.g.,pre-screen the one or more individuals). In an example, the one or moreindividuals can provide their identifying information directly to theaccess point 102 before the one or more individuals are at or near thenon-law enforcement. In such an example, the access point 102 can beconnected to the internet and configured to receive the identifyinginformation directly from the one or more individuals (e.g., via a webapplication or a computer readable form that is transmitted to theaccess point 102). In an example, the one or more individuals canprovide their identifying information indirectly to the access point 102before the one or more individuals are at or near the non-lawenforcement. In such an example, the access point 102 can be located ator near a communication device, such as near a telephone (e.g., atreception, at a call center) or a computer with email access. The one ormore individuals can send their identifying information to thecommunication device and an person using the communication device caninput the identifying information into the access point 102. Configuringthe access point 102 to receive identifying information before the oneor more individuals are at or near the non-law enforcement facility canat least one of prevent potential socially awkward situations where theone or more individuals are denied access to the non-law enforcementfacility, screen one or more dangerous individuals before they arepresent at the non-law enforcement facility, or expedite the screeningprocess since the one or more individuals can be pre-screened.

In an embodiment, the access point 102 is configured to receiveidentifying information for one or more individuals that are attemptingto virtually access the non-law enforcement facility (e.g., anindividual performing maintenance or any other service on the non-lawenforcement facility's servers or other critical equipment). Forexample, the access point 102 can be connected to the Internet and canreceive the identifying information from one or more individualsattempting the virtually access the non-law enforcement facility. Theaccess point 102 can be coupled to or form part of a firewall or othersecurity feature that prevents virtual access to the non-law enforcementfacility. In such an embodiment, the firewall or other security featureonly provides virtual access to the non-law enforcement facility onlyafter the access point 102 indicates to the firewall or other securityfeature that the one or more individuals are cleared (e.g., after theaccess point 102 receives a “cleared” message from the communicationserver 104).

In an embodiment, the access point 102 is configured to receiveidentifying information for one or more individuals that currently haveaccess to the non-law enforcement facility (e.g., an employee of thenon-law enforcement facility). For example, the one or more individualsthat currently have access to the non-law enforcement facility may havebeen given access to the non-law enforcement facility after aconventional background check was performed or the system 100 provided a“cleared” message. The system 100 can be configured to periodicallycheck (e.g., automatically check or check responsive to input) the oneor more individuals that currently have access to the non-lawenforcement facility to ensure that nothing has changed that may preventthe one or more individuals from continuing to access the non-lawenforcement facility. In such an embodiment, the access point 102 can belocated at human resources department of the non-law enforcementfacility or at another suitable location.

The access point 102 can also include a first communication transceiver128. The first communication transceiver 128 couples (e.g., communicablycouples) the access point 102 to at least the communication server 104.For example, the first communication transceiver 128 can include a WiFidevice, a mobile wireless communication device, a Bluetooth device, alocal area network device (e.g., network interface or adaptor), a widearea network (e.g., internal or external modem), another suitablenetwork, etc. The first communication transceiver 128 directlycommunicably couples or indirectly communicably couples (e.g., via thecommunication server 104) the access point 102 to the local database 108and/or the government database 114.

The communication server 104 can include a second communicationtransceiver 130. The second communication transceiver 130 couples (e.g.,communicably couples) the communication server 104 to at least theaccess point 102. The second communication transceiver 130 can alsocouple the communication server 104 to at least one of the localdatabase 108, the at least one government database 114 (e.g., to thegovernment database 114 via a state message switch), etc. For example,the second communication transceiver 130 can be configured to transmitat least the identifying information to at least one of the localdatabase 108 or the government database 114. The second communicationtransceiver 130 can also be configured to receive at least one of thelocal result of the search of the local database 108 or the governmentresult of the search of the government database 114. Further, the secondcommunication transceiver 130 can transmit at least a portion of thelocal result and/or government result to the access point 102 or the lawenforcement agency 116. The second communication transceiver 130 caninclude any of the communication devices disclosed herein.

The communication server 104 also includes a central processing unit(“CPU”) 132. The CPU 132 is configured to transfer the informationbetween the different components of the system 100, converting a firstmessage (e.g., a first request) that is received by the communicationserver 104 into a second message (e.g., a third request as discussedbelow), verify permissions, etc. As such, the CPU 132 can include MSM(not shown) that stores programs and/or information thereon and at leastone processor (not shown) that executes the programs.

In an embodiment, the communication server 104 (e.g., the CPU 132) isconfigured to determine whether the person using the access point 102generating the first request has permission to generate the firstrequest. For example, the communication server 104 can verify theidentity of the person using the access point 102 by requiring theperson to log onto the access point 102 or the communication server 104,an OAUTH protocol, or using any other suitable protocol. In anotherexample, the communication server 104 can verify that the person isauthorized to generate the first request according to one or morepermissions. The permissions can be stored on the MSM of thecommunication server 104 or the access point 102 (e.g., the firstrequest includes the permissions). The permissions can be determined byan administrator prior to the generation of the first request. Thepermissions can indicate what searches that person is authorized toconduct. The permissions can be set based on the person's access to agovernment database 114, whether the person is a partner or sponsor,etc. In another example, the communication server 104 can determinewhether the person is a sponsor, a partner, and/or whether the partnerincludes a sponsor. In another example, the communication server 104 canverify that the first request originated from the access point 102 andnot another device. Such verification can be done using transport layersecurity, secure sockets layer, another communication security protocol,logging onto the communication server 104, etc. In another example, theCPU 132 can analyze the originating agency identifier (“ORI”) of theaccess point 102.

In an embodiment, responsive to receiving a request from the accesspoint 102, the CPU 132 of the communication server 104 can determinewhere to send the identifying information contained in the request. Inan example, the communication server 104 can receive a first requestdirecting the communication server 104 to query (e.g., transmit theidentifying information to) the local database 108. In such an example,the communication server 104 can transmit at least the identifyinginformation to the local database 108. In an example, the first requestreceived by communication server 104 can direct the communication server104 to query both the local database 108 and the government database114. In an example, the first request received by the communicationserver 104 can provide instructions to query the government database 114depending on an analysis of the local result by the communication server104. In such an example, the instructions can include directing thecommunication server 104 to query the government database 114 if theidentifying information did not match any information stored on thelocal database 108 or the local result received by the communicationserver 104 is out-of-date (e.g., older than about 3 months, older thanabout 6 months, older than about a year, older than about 2 years, orolder than about 5 years). In an example, the communication server 104can receive a second request from the access point 104 after receivingthe first request (e.g., after sending an analysis of the local resultto the access point 102) and the second request can direct thecommunication server 104 to query the government database 114. In anexample, the communication server 104 can include one or moreinstructions stored on the MSM thereof to query the government database114 depending on an analysis of the local result by the communicationserver 104. In such an example, the instructions can include directingthe communication server 104 to query the government database 114 if theidentifying information did not match any information stored on thelocal database 108 or the local result received by the communicationserver 104 is out-of-date.

As previously discussed, the communication server 104 can transmit theidentifying information to the local database 108. As will be discussedin more detail below, the local database 108 can scan the informationstored therein to determine if there is a match between the informationstored in the local database 108 and the identifying information.Responsive to scanning the information stored in the local database 108,the local database 108 can transmit a local result that contains theresult of the search of the local database 108 to the communicationserver 104. In an embodiment, the communication server 104 (e.g., theCPU 132) can analyze the information contained in the local result. Forexample, analyzing the local result can include determining whether thelocal result discloses that the individual in question was permittedentrance or was denied entrance. In another example, the communicationserver 104 can determine that the local result constitutes anondisqualifying match. The nondisqualifying match is when (1) theidentifying information did not match any records of the local database108 or (2) the identifying information did match at least one record ofthe local database 108 but did not meet one or more entrance criteria.In such an example, the communication server 104 can transmit a“cleared” message to the access point 102. The “cleared” message caninclude any suitable message that indicates that the identifyinginformation did not match any entrance criteria. In another example, thecommunication server 104 can determine that the local result constitutesa potential disqualifying match. The potential disqualifying match iswhen the identifying information matched at least one record of thelocal database 108 and the match did meet one or more of the entrancecriteria. In such an example, the communication server 104 can transmita “not-cleared” message to the access point 102 or, as will be discussedin more detail below, transmit at least a portion of the governmentresult to the law enforcement agency 116. Responsive to transmitting atleast a portion of the government result to the law enforcement agency116, the communication server 104 102 can transmit a “pending” messageto the non-law enforcement facility 102 or wait for furthercommunication from the law enforcement agency 116.

In an embodiment, the CPU 132 can convert the first request, a secondrequest, and/or any other request received from the access point 102 tocreate a third request that is transmitted to and complies with therequirements of the government database 114. For example, the CPU 132can extract the identifying information and any other information neededto search the government database 114 from the request(s) received fromthe access point 102 and create the third request from the extractedinformation. In an example, the third request can include an NCIC querywanted message.

In another embodiment, the communication server 104 (e.g., the CPU 132)can analyze the information contained in the government result. Forexample, the communication server 104 can determine that the governmentresult constitutes a nondisqualifying match. In such an example, thecommunication server 104 can transmit a “cleared” message to the non-lawenforcement facility 102. In another example, the communication server104 can determine that the government result constitutes a potentialdisqualifying match. In such an example, the communication server 104can transmit a “not-cleared” message to the non-law enforcement facility102 or, as discussed in more detail below, transmit at least a portionof the government result to the law enforcement agency 116. Responsiveto transmitting at least a portion of the government result to the lawenforcement agency 116, the communication server 104 102 can transmit a“pending” message to the non-law enforcement facility 102 or wait forfurther communication from the law enforcement agency 116.

In an embodiment, CPU 132 can parse at least one the local or governmentresults received by the communication server 104. In an example, the CPU132 can parse the local or government result to just a “cleared”message, a “not cleared” message, which entrance criteria was triggered,etc. In an example, the CPU 132 can remove certain information from thelocal or government result (e.g., confidential information, extraneousinformation, etc.) prior to transmitting the local or government resultto one or more components of the system 100. In an example, the CPU 132can delete all of the government result except whether a “cleared” or“not cleared” message was sent to the access point 102 and/or a type ofNCIC or CJIS alert (e.g., which entrance criteria was trigger) wasreceived by the communication server 104.

In an embodiment, the at least one communication server 104 includes asingle server that is configured to perform all of the functions of thecommunication server 104 and includes the second communicationtransceiver 130 and the CPU 132. In an embodiment, the at least onecommunication server 104 includes a plurality of communication servers104 that are each communicably coupled together. For example, each ofthe plurality of communication servers 104 are substantially the same.In another example, at least some of the plurality of communicationservers 104 are different. For instance, at least some of the pluralityof communication servers 104 include different components or areconfigured to perform different functions. In another example, at leastone of the plurality of communication servers 104 are communicablycoupled to different components of the system 100 (e.g., a firstcommunication server 104 is communicably coupled to the access point 102and a second communication server 104 is communicably coupled to thelocal database 108). In another example, at least some of the pluralityof communication servers 104 are at the same location. In anotherexample, at least some of the plurality of communication servers 104 areat different locations. For instance, at least one of the plurality ofcommunication servers 104 is within direct government control and atleast one of the plurality of communication servers 104 is not under lawenforcement only control.

As previously discussed, the local database 108 includes informationstored thereon that can be searched to determine if there is an at leastpartial match between the identifying information of the first requestand the information stored on the local database 108. As such, the localdatabase 108 can include MSM (not shown) that includes informationstored thereon and is searchable. Similarly, the local database 108 canbe stored on the MSM of a general purpose or special purpose computerthat includes at least one processor that is configured to search thelocal database 108. Additionally, a general purpose or special purposecomputer that stores the local database 108 can include a thirdcommunication transceiver 134 that is configured to receive at least theidentifying information from the communication server 104 and transmitthe local result of the search of the local database 108 to thecommunication server 104. The third communication transceiver 134 caninclude any of the communication transceivers disclosed herein.

There is an at least partial match when at least one item of identifyinginformation of the individuals (e.g., name, driver's license number,license plate number, etc.) matches at least one item of identifyinginformation stored on the local database 108. For example, there is anat least partial match when the identifying information of theindividuals includes only a single item of identifying information andthe single item of identifying information matches at least one storedon the local database 108. In another example, there is an at leastpartial match when the identifying information of the individuals caninclude a plurality of items of identifying information of theindividuals and at least one of the plurality of items identifyinginformation matches at least one item of identifying information storedon the local database 108. In another example, there is an at leastpartial match when the identifying information of the individuals caninclude a plurality of items of identifying information of theindividuals and all of the plurality of items identifying informationmatches a plurality of items of identifying information stored on thelocal database 108. There is no match when no item of the identifyinginformation of the individuals matches an item of identifyinginformation stored on the local database 108.

The information stored on the local database 108 can include a pluralityof previous government results stored thereon. Each previous governmentresults include at least a portion of a government result of a previoussearch of the governmental databases 114. For example, a previousrequest may have been sent from the access point 102, which resulted ina search of a government database 114 and a previous government resultbeing generated. At least a portion of the previous government result isthen stored on the local database 108. For example, at least one of theentire previous government result, a portion of the previous governmentresult, what entrance criteria the previous government result triggered,whether a “cleared” or “not cleared” message was generated responsive tothe previous government result, or whether the individuals were grantedor denied access can be stored on the local database 108. Additionally,the previous government result can be associated with identifyinginformation that is stored on the local database 108 and was used togenerate the previous government result. The amount of informationstored on the local database 108 can be restricted based on statutes,regulations, government agency's restrictions, an agreement with thesponsor, etc. In an embodiment, the local database 108 can includeadditional information stored thereon. The additional information caninclude the image of the identifying information that was captured atthe access point 102, the entity requesting the previous search, thedate and time of the previous request, or any other information.

The processor of the general purpose or special purpose computer thatstores the local database 108 can be configured to search the localdatabase 108 responsive to receiving the identifying information fromthe communication server 104. For example, the processor of the localdatabase 108 can compare the identifying information of the firstrequest against the identifying information stored on the local database108. The local database 108 can be configured (e.g., via the thirdcommunication transceiver 134) to transmit the local result of thesearch of the communication server 104.

In an embodiment, the at least one local database 108 includes a singlelocal database 108. In an embodiment, the at least one local database108 includes a plurality of local databases 108. For example, each ofthe plurality of local databases 108 are owned by the same entity and/orare at the same location. In another example, at least some of theplurality of local databases 108 are owned by different entities and/orare at different locations. In another example, at least some of theplurality of local databases 108 include similar information. In anotherexample, at least some of the plurality of local databases 108 includedifferent information.

In an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, at least one of (e.g., allof) the access point 102, the communication server 104, and the localdatabase 108 can be not under law enforcement only control. Instead, atleast one of the access point 102, the communication server 104, and thelocal database 108 are at least partially under the control of a thirdparty. As used herein, control refers to a parties ability to at leastone of control the software of a computer device, access the data of thecomputer device, or otherwise administer or manage the computer device.At least partially controlling at least one of the access point 102, thecommunication server 104, or the local database 108 with a third partydecreases the burden on law enforcement agencies and law enforcementagencies' computer systems since it allows third parties and thirdparties' computer systems to manage and administer at least one of theaccess point 102, the communication server 104, and the local database108 thereby freeing law enforcement resources for other uses.

It is noted that a third party at least partially controlling at leastone of the access point 102, the communication server 104, or the localdatabase 108 does not preclude at least one of the access point 102, thecommunication server 104, or the local database 108 from being at leastpartially controlled by a law enforcement agency and/or from beingaudited by the law enforcement agency. Further, a third party at leastpartially controlling at least one of the access point 102, thecommunication server 104, or the local database 108 does not preclude atleast one of the access point 102, the communication server 104, or thelocal database 108 from being located on law enforcement or lawenforcement controlled property, such as in a precinct or at theNational Law Enforcement Telecommunications Systems.

In an embodiment, the access point 102, the communication server 104,and the local database 108 are distinct devices. For example, at leasttwo of the access point 102, the communication server 104, or the localdatabase 108 are located in different locations. In another example, theaccess point 102, the communication server 104, and the local database108 form at least a portion of different general purpose or specialpurpose computers. However, in an embodiment, at least two of the accesspoint 102, the communication server 104, or the local database 108 areintegrated. For example, at least two of the access point 102, thecommunication server 104, or the local database 108 may form part of thesame general purpose or special purpose computer. In such an example,the access point 102, the communication server 104, or the localdatabase 108 can share components (e.g., the local database 108 can bestored on the MSM 118 or the CPU 132 and the local database 108 can besearched using the processor 120 or the CPU 132).

The government database 114 can include any government database 114 thathas restricted access and is searchable. In an embodiment, thegovernment database 114 can include any database that is under thecontrol and/or updated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation or anotherlaw enforcement agency, such as the CJIS and/or the NCIC databases. Inan embodiment, the government database 114 can include a criminalrecords database (other than the CJIS and/or NCIC databases) that aremaintained by a municipal, state, or federal government agency. In anembodiment, the government database 114 can include MAINWAY managed bythe National Security Agency, the Census databases managed by the CensusBureau, Federal Data Services Hub managed by the Internal RevenueService, the Mail Isolation Control and Tracking databases managed bythe United Postal Service, the Integrated Automated FingerprintIdentification System managed by the FBI, the Next GenerationIdentification database managed by the FBI, the Combined DNA IndexSystem managed by the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service database managedby the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Death Index managedby the Social Security Administration, driver license and/or motorvehicle registry managed by state department of motor vehicles, or anyother suitable municipal, state, or federal government database 114. Inan embodiment, the government database 114 can include a foreign (e.g.,non-United States) government database 114. In an embodiment, the atleast one government database 114 can include a plurality of governmentdatabases 114, such as a combination of any of the government databases114 disclosed herein.

As previously discussed, in some embodiments, the communication server104 can transmit at least a portion of the government result of thesearch of the government database 114 to an law enforcement agency 116,for example, when the communication server 104 determines that thegovernment result is associated with at least one entrance criteria oris unsure if the government result is associated with at least oneentrance criteria. The law enforcement agency 116 can include any agencyor group that is authorized to view the government result. For example,the law enforcement agency 116 can include a federal law enforcementorganization or officer (e.g., the FBI, National Security Agency, theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, etc.), a state ormunicipal law enforcement organization or officer, or another suitableagency or individual. In an embodiment, the law enforcement agency 116can include a general purpose or special purpose computer that receivesat least a portion of the government result. In an embodiment, the lawenforcement agency 116 can include an individual (e.g., police office,FBI special agent, etc.) that reviews the government result on thegeneral purpose or special purpose computer. The individual can decideat least one of if the government result triggers an entrance criteria,what information is actually confidential, which information is sent tothe communication server 104 (e.g., a “cleared” or “not cleared”message), etc. In an embodiment, the government result is reviewed bythe general purpose or special purpose computer using instructionsstored on a memory storage medium thereof before, after, or withouttransmitting the government result to an individual for review. It isnoted that the communication server 104 can transmit a “reviewed”messages along with the “cleared” or “not cleared to the access point102 when the law enforcement agency 116 reviewed the government result.The “reviewed” message can include any message indicating that the lawenforcement agency 116 reviewed the government result.

In an embodiment, the communication server 104 can select between aplurality of different law enforcement agencies 116 and transmit atleast a portion of the government result to the selected law enforcementagency 116. For example, the communication server 104 can select agovernment agency that may be interested in the one or more individualsand/or the non-law enforcement facility. For example, the communicationserver 104 can transmit at least a portion of the government result to afederal law enforcement agency if the government result included afederal arrest warrant and the communication server 104 can transmit atleast a portion of the government result to a state or municipal lawenforcement agency if the government result included a non-federalarrest warrant.

In an embodiment, the law enforcement agency 116 is omitted from thesystem 100. For example, the communication server 104 can determine thatthe government result is associated with at least one entrance criteriaand the communication server 104 can transmit a “not cleared” message tothe access point 102. Whether or not the law enforcement agency 116 canbe omitted from the system 100 may depend on current government rules,regulations, or restrictions.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method 200 to screen one or more individualsusing the system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the access point 102. In an embodiment, some of the actsof method 200 can be split into a plurality of acts, some of the actscan be combined into a single act, and some acts can be omitted. Also,it is understood that additional acts can be added to the method 200.Except as otherwise disclosed herein, the acts of method 200 can be usedwith any of the systems disclosed herein.

Act 202 of the method 200 includes, at the access point 102, “generatinga first request at an access point 102, the first request including oneor more identifying information about one or more individuals.” Forexample, a single individual or a plurality of individuals can enter alobby, a security gate, an entrance, or another portion at and/or nearthe non-law enforcement facility. A person using the access point 102and/or a person responsible for screening individuals entering thenon-law enforcement facility (e.g., an employee, a security guard,business owner, property owner, etc.) can obtain identifying informationabout the single individual or at least some (e.g., each) of theplurality of individuals. The identifying information can include name,social security number, driver license number, license plate number,physical description, fingerprint, facial recognition, etc. The personcan enter the identifying information into the access point 102. Forexample, the person can enter the identifying information using atouchscreen, keyboard, an image capturing device, etc. In an embodiment,the person can input which entrance criteria are used to screen theindividuals or the entrance criteria can be preselected. In someembodiments, the access point 102 can require the person to log into theaccess point 102 or a program on the access point 102 to verify theidentity of and/or permissions granted to the person.

Act 204 of the method 200 includes, at the access point 102,“transmitting the first request to a communication server 104.” Forexample, the access point 102 can transmit the first request wiredly(e.g., via an Ethernet connection) or wirelessly (e.g., via WiFi) to thecommunication server 104 using the first communication transceiver 128.The first request can include the identifying information of a singleindividual or a plurality of individuals. From another perspective, act204 includes, at the communication server 104, receiving the firstrequest from the access point 102. For example, the second communicationtransceiver 130 can receive the first request from the access point 102.

In an embodiment, the method 200 includes transmitting a request (e.g.,the first request or another request) that includes the identifyinginformation from the access point 102 to the local database 108. Forexample, the request can be transmitted from the access point 102directly to the local database 108 (e.g., before or after act 204) orindirectly via the communication server 104 (e.g., after act 204).

Act 206 of the method 200 includes “receiving at least a portion of alocal result of a search of the at least one local database 108.” Forexample, act 206 can include receiving the local result directly fromthe local database 108. In another example, act 206 can includereceiving the local result indirectly from the local database 108 viathe communication server 104. In such an example, the access point 102can receive the entire local result or a portion of the local resultreceived by the communication server 104 from the local database 108. Aportion of the local result received by the access point 102 can includea locally “cleared” or locally “not cleared” message, a portion of thelocal result including confidential information removed therefrom, aportion of the local result that includes extraneous information removedtherefore, or combinations thereof. For example, the local result storedon the local database 108 can include whether the identifyinginformation was or was not associated with at least one entrancecriteria. In such an example, the portion of the local result receivedby the access point 102 can merely include a locally “cleared” or “notcleared” message. Act 206 can be performed using the first communicationtransceiver 128.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method 300 to screen one or more individualsthe system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the access point 102. For ease of illustration, FIG. 3has been split into FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C. In an embodiment, some of theacts of method 300 can be split into a plurality of acts, some of theacts can be combined into a single act, and some acts can be omitted.Also, it is understood that additional acts can be added to the method300. Except as otherwise disclosed herein, the acts of method 300 can beused with any of the systems disclosed herein.

Act 302 of the method 300 includes, at the access point 102, “generatinga first request at an access point 102, the first request including oneor more identifying information about one or more individuals.” Act 302can be the same as or similar to act 202 of method 200. Act 304 ofmethod 300 includes, at the access point 102, “transmitting the firstrequest to a communication server 104.” Act 304 can be the same as orsimilar to act 204 of method 200. Act 302 can be performed using aprocessor 120 of the access point 102.

Act 306 of the method 300 includes, at the access point 102,“transmitting information to the communication server 104 demonstratingthat a person generating the first request has permission to generatethe first request.” For example, the access point 102 can transmit tothe communication server 104 at least one of that the person hassuccessfully logged onto the access point 102, proof of OAUTH protocolwas successfully initiated, that an administrator has granted permissionto the person to generate the first request, transport layer security orother security protocols verifying that the access point 102 generatingthe first request is valid access point 102 (e.g., not a hacker),information demonstrating that person entity is a sponsor or a partnerassociated with the sponsor, etc. Act 306 can be performed using thefirst communication transceiver 128.

In an embodiment, the communication server 104 determines, based on theinformation transmitted by the access point 102, that the person doesnot have permission to generate the first request. In such anembodiment, act 308 of the method 300 includes “receiving a message fromthe communication server 104 that the first request has beenterminated.” In response to act 308, the person generating the firstrequest can restart the method 300 or terminate the method 300. Act 308can be performed using the first communication transceiver 128.

In an embodiment, the communication server 104 determines, based on theinformation transmitted by the access point 102, that the person doeshave permission to generate the first request. In such an embodiment,act 310 of method 300 includes, at the access point 102, “receiving atleast a portion of a local result of a search of the at least one localdatabase 108.” For example, act 310 includes receiving at least aportion of the local result directly from the local database 108 orindirectly from local database 108 via the communication server 104. Act310 is the same as or similar to act 406 of method 400.

In an embodiment, the communication server 104 parses (e.g., analyzes)the local result to determine whether or not the information containedin the local result is associated with at least one entrance criteriaprior to act 310 (e.g., act 310 includes receiving at least a portion ofthe local result indirectly from the local database 108 via thecommunication server 104). However, in another embodiment, thecommunication server 104 does not parse the local result to determinewhether or not the local result is associated with at least one entrancecriteria . For example, the method 300 can include, with the processor120 of the access point 102, parsing the local result to determinewhether or not the local result is associated with one or more entrancecriteria based on the information contained in the local result. Inanother example, the local result already includes a “cleared” or “notcleared” message therein based on a previous analysis and the accesspoint 102 merely receives the “cleared” or “not cleared” message of thelocal result.

After act 310, act 312 of method 300 includes, with the display 124 ofthe access point 102, “displaying at least a portion of the local resultthat is received by the access point 102.” For example, act 312 includesdisplaying a locally “cleared” message. In another example, act 312includes displaying a locally “ not cleared” message. In anotherexample, act 312 includes displaying additional information instead ofor in conjunction with the locally “cleared” or “not cleared” message,such as the at least one entrance criteria that was triggered by thelocal result.

Act 314 of the method 300 includes, at the access point 102,“determining if at least one government database 114 will be searched.”Act 314 can be performed before, during, or after at least one of act302, 304, 306, 310, or 312. In an embodiment, the first request includesa request to search the government database 114 or provides instructionsto query the government database 114 depending on an analysis of thelocal result by the communication server 104. In an embodiment, theaccess point 102 generates a second request after generating the firstrequest (e.g., after receiving at least a portion of the local result).The second request includes at least a request to search the at leastone government database 114. The second request can also include theidentifying information of the individuals. The second request can bedifferent than, similar to, or the same as the first request. Act 314can be performed using the processor 120 of the access point 102.

In an embodiment, during act 314, it is determined at the access point102 that a search of the government database 114 will not be request. Insuch an embodiment, the method 300 can include act 316 which 300includes, at the access point 102, “creating a record indicating thatthe one or more individuals were granted access or denied access to thenon-law enforcement facility responsive to act 312.” For example, act312 include displaying a locally “cleared” message and, responsive tothe locally “cleared” message, the person operating the access point 102grants the one or more individuals access to the non-law enforcementfacility. In such an example, act 316 includes creating a recordindicating that the one or more individuals were granted access. Inanother example, act 312 includes displaying a locally “not cleared”message and, responsive to the locally “not cleared” message, the personoperating the access point 102 denies the one or more individuals accessto the non-law enforcement facility. In such an example, act 316includes creating a record indicating that the one or more individualswere denied access. In another example, act 312 includes displaying alocally “cleared” or “not cleared” message and, responsive to thelocally “cleared” or “not cleared” message, the person operating theaccess point 102 decides to search at least one government database. Insuch an example, act 316 includes creating a record indicating that theone or more individuals were denied access (e.g., pending the results ofthe search of the government database). In an embodiment, the recordcreated in act 316 can be stored on the access point 102 or the localdatabase 108. The record created in act 316 can be used for recordkeeping and auditing purposes.

After act 316, the method 300 can include act 318. Act 318 includesterminating the method 300 without searching the government database114. For example, act 318 includes transmitting a message from theaccess point 102 to the communication server 104 cancelling the method300.

In an embodiment, during act 314, it is determines that a search of thegovernment database 114 will be requested. In such an embodiment, act320 of method 300 includes “transmitting the request to search thegovernment database 114 to the communication server 104.” Act 320 can bethe same as act 302 (e.g., the first request includes the request tosearch the government database 114 or includes instructions detailingwhen the government database 114 is to be searched) or different thanact 302 (e.g., the access point 102 generates a second request andtransmits the second request to the communication server 104). Act 320can be performed using the first communication transceiver 128.

From another perspective and as will be discussed in more detailhereafter, responsive to act 320, the communication server 104 canreceive the request to search the government database 114. Thecommunication server 104 can then transmit at least the identifyinginformation of the individuals to at least one government database 114.The government database 114 can receive the information transmittedthereto by the communication server 104 and can search the governmentdatabase 114 responsive to receiving the information. The governmentdatabase 114 can generate a government result of the search of thegovernment database 114 that includes whether or not the governmentdatabase 114 found an at least partial match between the identifyinginformation of the individuals and the identifying information stored onthe government database 114. The government result can include theidentifying information stored on the government database 114 that atleast partially matched the identifying information of the individualsand/or any information stored on the government database 114 associatedwith the identifying information stored on the government database 114.The government database 114 can transmit the government result to thecommunication server 104. The communication server 104 can receive thegovernment result from the government database 114 and transmit at leasta portion of the government result received thereby to the access point102.

Act 322 of the method 300 includes, at the access point 102, “receivingat least a portion of the government result.” For example, the accesspoint 102 can receive the entirety of the actual government result. Inanother example, the access point 102 can receive a portion of theactual government result (e.g., the communication server 104 removedconfidential or extraneous information from the government result). Theamount of information received can depend on current and future laws andregulations. In another example, the access point 102 can receiveinformation derived from the actual government result, such as at leastone of a “cleared,” “not cleared,” or “pending” message from thecommunication server 104 (e.g., prior to act 322, the communicationserver 104 parses the government result to determine whether or not thegovernment result is associated with at least one entrance criteria).

In an embodiment (not shown), the processor 120 of the access point 102parses the government result instead of the communication server 104 todetermine whether or not the government result is associated with atleast one entrance criteria.

After act 322, act 324 of the method 300 includes, with the display 124of the access point 102, “displaying at least a portion of thegovernment result that is received by the access point 102.” Forexample, act 324 includes displaying a “cleared” message. In anotherexample, act 324 includes displaying a “not cleared” message. In anotherexample, act 324 includes displaying additional information instead ofor in conjunction with the “cleared” or “not cleared” message, such asthe at least one entrance criteria that was triggered by the governmentresult.

Act 326 of the method 300 includes, at the access point 102, “creating arecord indicating whether the one or more individuals were grantedaccess or denied access to the non-law enforcement facility responsiveto act 324.” For example, act 324 include displaying a “cleared” messageand, responsive to the “cleared” message, the person operating theaccess point 102 grants the one or more individual access to the non-lawenforcement facility. In such an example, act 326 includes creating arecord indicating that the one or more individuals were granted access.In another example, act 324 includes displaying a “not cleared” messageand, responsive to the “not cleared” message, the person operating theaccess point 102 denies the one or more individuals access to thenon-law enforcement facility. In such an example, act 326 includescreating a record indicating that the one or more individuals weredenied access. In an embodiment, the record created in act 326 can bestored on the access point 102 or the local database 108. The recordcreated in act 326 can be used for record keeping and auditing purposes.

Act 328 of the method 300 includes “transmitting at least a portion ofthe government result received by the access point 102 to the at leastone local database 108.” Act 328 can be performed after act 324 andbefore or after at least one of acts 326 or 328. The local database 108can store the information that is transmitted by the access point 102(e.g., via the communication server 104) and received thereby on thelocal database 108 to be used in future searches of the local database108. Act 332 can be performed using the first communication transceiver128.

As previously discussed, at least some of the act of the method 300 canbe omitted. For example, act 328 can be omitted when the communicationserver 104 transmits at least a portion of the government result on thelocal database 108. In another example, as previously discussed, thecommunication server 104 can analyze the local result and, based oninstructions stored thereon, the communication server 104 can determinewhether the government database is to be searched without receivingcommunication from the access point 102. In such an embodiment, acts314, 316, 318, and 320 can be omitted from the method 300. In anotherexample, at least one of the communication server 104 can perform atleast one of the acts of method 300 instead of the access point 102.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method 400 to screen one or more individualsusing the system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the communication server 104. In an embodiment, some ofthe acts of method 400 can be split into a plurality of acts, some ofthe acts can be combined into a single act, and some acts can beomitted. Also, it is understood that additional acts can be added to themethod 400. Except as otherwise disclosed herein, the acts of method 400can be used with any of the systems disclosed herein.

Act 402 of the method 400 includes, at the communication server 104“receiving a first request from the access point 102 that includes oneor more identifying information of the one or more individuals.” Act 402can be responsive to acts 202 or 302 of methods 200 or 300. For example,the second communication transceiver 130 of the communication server 104can receive the first request from the access point 102. In anembodiment, the first request can include a request to search thegovernment database 114 or can include instructions detailing when thegovernment database 114 is to be searched responsive to an analysis of alocal result by the communication server 104. In an embodiment, act 402also includes receiving a second request from the access point 102 afterreceiving the first request, the second request including a request tosearch the government database 114. Act 402 can be performed using thesecond communication transceiver 130.

Act 404 of the method 400 includes “transmitting at least the one ormore identifying information of the one or more individuals to at leastone government database 114.” In an example, act 404 can includetransmitting the first and/or second requests received from the accesspoint 102 to the government database 114. In an example, act 404 caninclude transmitting a third request that includes the identifyinginformation of the individuals to the government database 114. The thirdrequest is different than the first and/or second requests (e.g., thethird request is a NCIC query wanted message). Act 404 can be performedusing the second communication transceiver 130 of the communicationserver 104.

Act 406 of the method 400 includes “receiving at least a portion of agovernment result of a search of the at least one government database114.” Act 406 can be performed using the second communicationtransceiver 130.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method 500 to screen individuals using thesystem 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from the perspectiveof the communication server 104. For ease of illustration, FIG. 5 hasbeen split into FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C. In an embodiment, some of the actsof method 500 can be split into a plurality of acts, some of the actscan be combined into a single act, and some acts can be omitted. Also,it is understood that additional acts can be added to the method 500.Except as otherwise disclosed herein, the acts of method 500 can be usedwith any of the systems disclosed herein.

Act 502 of the method 500 includes “receiving a first request from theaccess point 102 that includes one or more identifying information ofthe one or more individuals.” Act 502 can be the same as or similar tothe act 402 of method 400.

Act 504 of the method 500 includes “determining whether a persongenerating the first request has permission to generate the firstrequest.” In an embodiment, act 504 can include receiving informationfrom the access point 102 verifying that the person has logged into theaccess point 102, for example, using an OAUTH protocol. In anotherembodiment, the communication server 104 can verify that the person isauthorized to generate the first request according to one or morepermissions. In another embodiment, the communication server 104 candetermine whether the person is a sponsor, a partner, and/or whether thepartner includes a sponsor. In another example, the communication server104 can verify that the first request originated from the access point102 and not another device, for example, using transport layer security,virtual private network, or other security protocols. Act 504 can beperformed on the CPU of the communication server 104.

In an embodiment, the communication server 104 can determine that theperson does not have permission to generate the first request. In suchan embodiment, act 506 of the method 500 includes “transmitting amessage to the access point 102 stating that the person does not havepermission to generate the first request.” Act 506 effectivelyterminates the method 500. In an embodiment, the communication server104 can determine that the person does have permission to generate thefirst request. In such an embodiment, the method 500 can continue ontoact 508. Act 506 can be performed using the second communicationtransceiver 130.

Act 508 of the method 500 includes, at the communication server 104,“transmitting at least the one or more identifying information of theone or more individuals to at least one local government database 114.”For example, act 508 can include transmitting the first request to thelocal database 108 or a portion of the first request to the localdatabase 108 (e.g., just the identifying information). Act 508 can beperformed using the second communication transceiver 130.

Act 510 of the method 500 can include, at the communication server 104,“receiving at least a portion of a local result of a search of the atleast one local database 108.” Act 510 can be performed using the secondcommunication transceiver 130.

In an embodiment, the local result received by the communication server104 does not need to be parsed (e.g., edited and/or analyzed) by thecommunication server 104. In such an embodiment, the communicationserver 104 can transmit the local result directly to the access point102 without analyzing the local result. For example, the local resultcan include information indicating whether the previous search of thegovernment result resulted in a “cleared” or “not cleared” messageand/or the entrance criteria triggered by the previous governmentresult. In another example, the access point 102 is configured to parsethe local result instead of the communication server 104. In anembodiment, the local result received by the communication server 104needs to be parsed by the communication server 104 to determine whetheror not the information contained in the local result is associated withat least one entrance criteria or to compare the local result againstinstructions contained in the first request to determine whether thegovernment database 114 will be searched. The parsing can be performedusing the CPU 132 of the communication server 104.

Act 512 of method 500 includes “transmitting at least a portion of thelocal result received by the communication server 104 to the accesspoint 102”. For example, the communication server 104 transmits alocally “cleared” or “not cleared” message to the access point 102. Inanother example, the communication server 104 transmits a locally“cleared” or “not cleared” message to the access point 102 along withadditional information contained in the local result. In anotherexample, the communication server 104 transmits at least a portion ofthe government results without a locally “cleared” or “not cleared”message. In such an example, the access point 102 can parse the portionsof the government result received thereby to determine whether theinformation contained therein is associated with at least one entrancecriteria.

From another perspective, the access point 102 can receive the portionof the government result transmitted by the communication server 104 anddisplay at least a portion of the local result received thereby usingthe display 124.

Act 514 of the method 500 includes “determining if the communicationserver 104 received a request to search at least one government database114.” In an embodiment, the communication server 104 determines that thecommunication server 104 did not receive a request to search at leastone government database 114. For example, the first request received bythe communication server 104 did not include a request to search thegovernment database 114 or the communication server 104 received amessage from the access point 102 cancelling the method 500. In such anembodiment, act 516 of method 500 includes terminating the method 500without searching the government database 114. In an embodiment, thecommunication server 104 determines that the communication server 104received a request to search the government database 114. For example,at least one of the communication server 104 received the secondrequest, the first request included a request to search the governmentdatabase 114, or the first request included instructions detailing whenthe government database 114 is to be searched and, responsive toanalyzing the local result, the communication server 104 determines thatthe government database 114 will be searched. In such an embodiment, themethod 500 continues to act 518.

Act 518 of the method 500 includes, at the communication server 104,“determining if the communication server 104 has all the informationrequired to generate a third request.” For example, the communicationserver 104 can analyze the first and/or second requests to determine ifthe first and/or second requests include all the information required tosearch the government database 114. For example, the communicationserver 104 can analyze the first and/or second requests to determine ifit includes at least one of the identifying information of theindividuals, the person's name generating the request, the non-lawenforcement facility, the access point 102, the ORI of the sponsor, orany other information that may be required. Act 522 can be performedusing the CPU 132 of the communication server 104.

In an embodiment, the communication server 104 can determine that thefirst and/or second requests do not include all the information needed.In such an embodiment, act 520 of the method 500 includes “transmittinga message to the access point 102 indicating which information isfurther required.” Act 520 effectively terminates the method 500 untilthe communication server 104 receives the missing information. Act 520can be performed using the second communication transceiver 130. In anembodiment, the communication server 104 determines that it has all theinformation required to generate the third request. In such anembodiment, the method 500 continues to act 522.

Act 522 of the method 500 includes, at the communication server 104,“generating the third request to conform to the requirements of thegovernment database 114.” For example, the communication server 104 cangenerate the third request (e.g., a NCIC query wanted message) byconverting the first and/or second requests into the third request. Inanother example, the communication server 104 can generate the thirdrequest based on the information contained in the first and/or secondrequests and any additional information received by or stored on thecommunication server 104. In an embodiment, the communication server 104can receive the first and/or second requests from the access point 102that already comply with the requirements of the government database114. In such an embodiment, act 522 can be omitted. Act 522 can beperformed by the CPU 138 of the communication server 104.

Act 524 of the method 500 includes “transmitting the third request fromthe communication server 104 to the government database 114.” Act 526 ofthe method 500 includes “receiving at least a portion of a governmentresult of a search of at least one government database 114 from thegovernment database 114.” Acts 524 and 526 can be the same as or similarto acts 404, 406 of the method 400, respectively.

Act 528 of the method 500 includes “parsing the information contained inthe government result to determine whether the information contained inthe government result is associated with at least one entrancecriteria.” Act 528 can be performed by the CPU 132 of the communicationserver 104.

In an embodiment, during act 528, the communication server 104determines that the information contained in the government result isnot associated with at least one entrance criteria. In such anembodiment, act 530 of the method 500 includes “transmitting a ‘cleared’message from the communication server 104 to the access point 102.” Act530 can be performed with the second communication transceiver 130.

In an embodiment, the communication server 104 determines that theinformation contained in the government result is associated with atleast one entrance criteria or the communication server 104 is unable todetermine if the information contained in the government result is or isnot associated with at least one entrance criteria. In such anembodiment, the method 500 includes acts 532 and 534. Act 532 of themethod 500 includes “transmitting a ‘pending’ message to the accesspoint 102” from the communication server 104. Act 534 of the method 500includes “transmitting the at least a portion of the government resultreceived by the communication server 104 to the law enforcement agency116” from the communication server 104. Acts 532 and/or 534 can beperformed using the second communication transceiver 130.

Act 536 of method 500 includes, at the communication server 104,“receiving a message from the law enforcement agency 116 that includes a‘cleared’ or ‘not cleared’ message.” Responsive to act 536, act 538 ofmethod 500 includes, with the communication server 104, “transmittingthe ‘cleared’ or ‘not cleared’ message received from the law enforcementagency 116 to the access point 102.” In an embodiment, act 536 can alsoinclude transmitting a “reviewed” message to the access point 102thereby indicating that the government results was reviewed by the lawenforcement agency. Acts 536 and/or 538 can be performed using thesecond communication transceiver 130.

Act 540 of the method 500 includes “transmitting at least a portion ofthe government result received by the communication server 104 to the atleast one local database 108.” Act 540 can be performed after act 526and before or after at least one of acts 528, 530, 532, 534, 536, or538. The local database 108 can store the information that istransmitted by the communication server 104 and received thereby on thelocal database 108 to be used in future searches of the local database108. Act 540 can be performed using the second communication transceiver130.

As previously discussed, some of the acts of the method 500 can beomitted. For example, at least one of acts 508-512 can be omitted whenthe access point 102 at least one of transmits at least the one or moreidentifying information of the one or more individuals to at least onelocal government database 114, receives at least a portion of a localresult of a search of the at least one local database 108, or determineswhether the one or more identifying information is associated with oneor more entrance criteria based on the information contained in thelocal result as disclosed in methods 400 and 300. In another example, atleast one of the access point 102, the second server, the governmentdatabase 114, or the law enforcement agency 116 can perform at least oneof the acts of method 500 instead of the communication server 104.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method 600 to screen one or more individualsusing the system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the local database 108. In an embodiment, some of theacts of method 600 can be split into a plurality of acts, some of theacts can be combined into a single act, and some acts can be omitted.Also, it is understood that additional acts can be added to the method600. Except as otherwise disclosed herein, the acts of method 600 can beused with any of the systems disclosed herein.

Act 602 of the method 600 includes “receiving the identifyinginformation of one or more individuals” at the local database 108 or acomputer associated therewith. For example, the local database 108 orcomputer associated therewith can receive the one or more identifyinginformation directly from the access point 102 or indirectly from theaccess point 102 via the communication server 104. Act 602 can beperformed by the third communication device 138.

Act 604 of the method 600 includes “scanning the information stored onthe local database 108 to determine if there is a match between theinformation stored on the local database 108 and the one or moreidentifying information.” Act 606 of the method 600 includes “generatinga local result of the scan of the local database 108.” In an embodiment,the local database 108 did not find any matches between the identifyinginformation and the information stored therein during act 604. In suchan embodiment, the local result generated during act 606 can include amessage indicating that no matches were found. In an embodiment, thelocal database 108 found at least one match between the identifyinginformation and the information stored therein during act 604. In suchan embodiment, the local result generated during act 606 can include thematching information, any information stored on the local database 108associated with the matching information, or any other additionalinformation.

Act 608 of the method 600 includes “transmitting the local result to theaccess point 102.” For example, act 608 can include transmitting thelocal result directly to the access point 102. In another example, act608 can include transmitting the local result indirectly to the accesspoint 102 by transmitting the local result to the communication server104. Act 608 can be performed by the third communication device 134.

Act 610 of the method 600 can include “receiving updated information.”For example, act 610 can include receiving from the access point 102(e.g., either directly or indirectly from the communication server 104)whether the individuals were allowed or denied entrance into the non-lawenforcement facility. In another example, act 610 can include receivingat least a portion of the government result from the communicationserver 104.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method 700 to screen one or more individualsusing the system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the government database 114. In an embodiment, some ofthe acts of method 700 can be split into a plurality of acts, some ofthe acts can be combined into a single act, and some acts can beomitted. Also, it is understood that additional acts can be added to themethod 700. Except as otherwise disclosed herein, the acts of method 700can be used with any of the systems disclosed herein.

Act 702 of the method 700 includes “receiving identifying information ofone or more individuals from the communication server 104” at thegovernment database 114.

Act 704 of the method 700 includes “scanning the information stored onthe government database 114 to determine if there is a match between theinformation stored on the government database 114 and the identifyinginformation.” Act 706 of the method 700 includes “generating agovernment result of the scan of the government database 114.” In anembodiment, the government database 114 did not find any matches betweenthe identifying information and the information stored thereon duringact 704. In such an embodiment, the government result generated duringact 706 can include a message indicating that no matches were found. Inan embodiment, the government database 114 found at least one matchbetween the identifying information and the information stored thereonduring act 704. In such an embodiment, the government result can includethe matching information, any information stored on the governmentdatabase 114 associated with the matching information, or any otheradditional information, such as confidential information.

Act 708 of the method 700 includes “transmitting the government resultto the communication server 104.”

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method 800 to screen one or more individualsusing the system 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment, from theperspective of the law enforcement agency 116. In an embodiment, some ofthe acts of method 800 can be split into a plurality of acts, some ofthe acts can be combined into a single act, and some acts can beomitted. Also, it is understood that additional acts can be added to themethod 800. Except as otherwise disclosed herein, the acts of method 800can be used with any of the systems disclosed herein.

Act 802 of the method 800 includes “receiving at least a portion of thegovernment result from the communication server 104.” For example, act802 can include receiving the government result at a computer, mobiledevice, etc. that is under the control of the law enforcement agency.

Act 804 of the method 800 includes “analyzing the government result.” Inan example, act 804 can include a law enforcement officer analyzing thegovernment result. In an example, act 802 can include the lawenforcement agency 116 comparing the information contained in thegovernment result against the entrance criteria.

Act 806 of the method 800 includes “transmitting a ‘cleared’ or ‘notcleared’ message to the access point 102.” For example, act 806 caninclude transmitting the “cleared” or “not cleared message” directly tothe access point 102 or indirectly to the access point 102 via thecommunication server 102. Act 802 can also include transmitting a“reviewed” message with the “cleared” or “not cleared” message.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a system 900 that is used to screen one ormore individuals, according to an embodiment. Except as otherwisedisclosed herein, the system 900 can be the same as or substantiallysimilar to the system 100 of FIG. 1. For example, the system 900 caninclude an access point 902, a communication server 904, a localdatabase 908, a government database 914, and a law enforcement agency916.

In an embodiment, a sponsor may require that a component of the system900 that communicates with the government database 914 to be physicallocated on the sponsor's property. However, it can be at least one ofdifficult, inefficient, or inconvenient to locate the communicationserver 904 on the sponsor's property. For example, the sponsor'sproperty may be located at a distance from a company to owns and/ormanages the communication server 904 thereby increasing the burden onthe company. For example, the communication server 904 can operate witha plurality of sponsors. In such an example, at least some of thesponsors may require that the component of the system 900 thatcommunicates with the government database 914 be located on thesponsor's property. This would require multiple communication servers904 to be used when only one communication server 904 is needed therebyincreasing the cost and complexity of the system 900 and creatingredundancies. To remedy these problems, in an embodiment, the system 900can include at least one local law enforcement agency server 936. Thelocal law enforcement agency server 936 can be located on a sponsor'sproperty (e.g., in a law enforcement office or precinct) and cancommunicably couple the communication server 904 with the governmentdatabase 914. This allows the system 900 to include a singlecommunication server 904 at a central location that operates inconnection with a plurality of different sponsors regardless of therequirements of each sponsor.

The local law enforcement agency server 936 includes a communicationtransceiver 938 that communicably couples the local law enforcementagency server 936 to the communication server 904 and the governmentdatabase 914. The communication transceiver 938 can also communicablycouple to the local law enforcement agency server 936 to the lawenforcement agency 916. The local law enforcement agency server 936 alsoincludes a CPU 940 that can be the same or similar to the CPU 132 ofFIG. 1. For example, CPU 940 can verify the identity of communicationserver 904 and/or that the communication server 904 is authorized tomake the request, as previously described herein. Similar to thecommunication server 104 of FIG. 1, the local law enforcement agencyserver 936 is not under law enforcement only control and is instead atleast partially under third party control.

In an embodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 merelyacts as a communication pass through between the communication server904 and the government database 914. For example, the local lawenforcement agency server 936 can receive a request to search thegovernment database 914 from the communication server 904, transmit theresult to the government database 914, receive the government resultfrom the government database 914, and transmit the government result tothe communication server 904. In an example, the local law enforcementagency server 936 can verify the identity of communication server 904and/or that the communication server 904 is authorized to make therequest, as previously described herein.

In an embodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 does notparse the government results received thereby and, instead, merelytransmits the government result to the communication server 904. In anembodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 can beconfigured to parse the government result received thereby. Parsing thegovernment result with the local law enforcement agency server 936 canprevent the dissemination of at least some of the confidentialinformation in the government result outside of the law enforcementcontrolled property. In an example, the local law enforcement agencyserver 936 can parse the government result to remove at least some ofthe confidential or extraneous information therefrom before transmittingthe government result to the communication server 904. In an example,the local law enforcement agency 936 can analyze the government resultto determine if the information contained in the government resulttriggers at least one of the one or more entrance criteria.

In an embodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 analyzesthe government result and determines that the information contained inthe government result does not trigger any entrance criteria. In such anembodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 can transmit a“cleared” message to the communication server 904. The local lawenforcement agency server 936 can also transmit one or more additionalportions of the government result to the communication server 904, suchas the entire government result, the government result with anyconfidential information removed therefrom, etc. In another embodiment,the local law enforcement agency server 936 analyzes the governmentresult and determines that the information contained in the governmentresult does trigger at least one entrance criteria. In such anembodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 can transmit a“not cleared” message to the communication server 904, thereby leavingit up to the communication server 904 to determine whether or not thelaw enforcement agency 916 is informed. The local law enforcement agencyserver 936 can also transmit one or more additional portions of thegovernment result to the communication server 904. In anotherembodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 analyzes thegovernment result and determines that the information contained in thegovernment result does trigger at least one entrance criteria. In suchan embodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 can transmitat least a portion of the government result to the law enforcementagency 916. The local law enforcement agency server 936 can transmit a“pending” message to the communication server 904 thereby notifying thatthe government result was transmitted to the law enforcement agency 916and that further communication will come from the law enforcement agency916.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method 1000 to screen one or moreindividuals using the system 900 of FIG. 9, according to an embodiment,from the perspective of the local law enforcement agency server 936. Forease of illustration, FIG. 10 has been split into FIGS. 10A and 10B. Inan embodiment, some of the acts of method 1000 can be split into aplurality of acts, some of the acts can be combined into a single act,and some acts can be omitted. Also, it is understood that additionalacts can be added to the method 1000. Except as otherwise disclosedherein, the acts of method 1000 can be used with any of the systemsdisclosed herein.

Act 1002 of the method 1000 includes “receiving a request from thecommunication server 904 that includes one or more identifyinginformation of one or more individuals.” In an example, the requestreceived by the local law enforcement agency server 936 can conform tothe requirements of the government database 914. In such an example, thelocal law enforcement agency server 936 merely needs to forward therequest to the government database 914 with no or minimal editing of therequest. In another example, the request received by the local lawenforcement agency server 936 does not conform to the requirements ofthe government database 914. In such an example, the local lawenforcement agency server 936 can format the request to conform to therequirements of the government database 914. Act 1002 can be performedby at least the communication transceiver 938 of the local lawenforcement agency server 936.

Act 1004 of the method 1000 includes “determining whether thecommunication server 904 has permission to generate the request.” In anembodiment, act 1004 can include verifying the identity of thecommunication server 904 and that the communication server 904 haspermission to request the search of the government database 914. Act1004 can be performed on the CPU 940 of the local law enforcement agencyserver 936.

In an embodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 candetermine that the communication server 904 does not have permission togenerate the request. In such an embodiment, the method 1000 includesact 1006, which includes “transmitting a message to the communicationserver 904 stating that the communication server 904 does not havepermission to generate the first request.” Act 1006 effectivelyterminates the method 1000. In an embodiment, the local law enforcementagency server 936 can determine that the communication server 904 doeshave permission to generate the request. In such an embodiment, themethod 1000 can continue onto act 1008. Act 1006 can be performed usingthe second communication transceiver 130.

In an embodiment, the local law enforcement agency server 936 candetermine that the communication server 904 does have permission togenerate the request. In such an embodiment, the method 1000 cancontinue onto act 1008, which includes “transmitting the request fromthe local law enforcement agency server 936 to the government database914.” Act 1010 of the method 1000 includes “receiving a governmentresult of a search of at least one government database 914 from thegovernment database 914.” Act 1008 and 1010 can be performed by thecommunication transceiver 938.

Act 1012 of the method 1000 includes “determining whether the local lawenforcement agency server 936 parses the government results.” In anexample, act 1012 includes examining the permissions granted to thecommunication server 904 and determining whether the permissions permitthe distribution of the government result to the communication server904. In an example, act 1012 can be omitted (e.g., the local lawenforcement agency server 936 is configured to always or never parse thegovernment result). Act 1012 can be performed by the CPU of the locallaw enforcement agency server 936.

In an embodiment, act 1012 includes determining that the local lawenforcement agency server 936 does not parse the government results. Insuch an embodiment, the method 1000 includes act 1014, which includes“transmitting the government result to the communication server 904”followed by terminating the method at act 1016. Act 1014 can beperformed by the communication server.

In an embodiment, act 1012 includes determining that the local lawenforcement agency server 936 does parse the government result. In suchan embodiment, the method 1000 includes act 1018, which includes“parsing the government result.” In an example, act 1018 includesparsing the government result to remove confidential information (e.g.,information that the communication server 904 is not permitted toreceive) or extraneous information from the government results. In anexample, act 1018 includes analyzing the information to determine if theinformation of the government results triggers at least one of the oneor more entrance criteria. Act 1018 can be performed by the CPU 940 ofthe local law enforcement agency server 936.

Act 1020 of the method 1000 includes “determining where to send theparsed government result?” Act 1020 can be performed by the CPU 940 ofthe local law enforcement agency server 936.

In an embodiment, act 1020 includes determining that at least a portionof the government results is to be sent to the communication server 904,such as when the government result constitutes a nondisqualifying match.In such an embodiment, the method 1000 includes act 1022, which includes“transmitting at least a portion of the government results to thecommunication server 904.” In an example, act 1020 includes transmittinga portion of the government response that does not include confidentialor extraneous information. In an example, act 1022 includes transmittingat least the result of the local law enforcement agency server's 936analysis of the government result (e.g., a “cleared” message) and,optionally, other portions of the government result (e.g., all of thegovernment result). After act 1022, the method 1000 includes terminatingthe method at act 1024.

In an embodiment, act 1020 includes determining that at least a portionof the government results is to be sent the law enforcement agency 916,such as when the government result constitutes a potential disqualifyingmatch. In such an embodiment, the method 1000 includes act 1026, whichincludes “transmitting at least a portion of the government result tothe law enforcement agency 916.” Additionally, the method 1000 caninclude act 1028, which includes “transmitting a ‘pending’ message tothe communication server 904.” After acts 1026 and 1028, the method 1000can terminate at act 1030

Methods of using the access point 902 is the same as or similar to themethods of using the access point 102 as previously discussed herein(see methods 200 and 300 of FIGS. 2 and 3). The methods of using thelocal database 908 is the same as or similar to the methods of using thelocal database 108 as previously discussed herein (see method 600 ofFIG. 6). The methods of using the communication server 904 is the sameas or similar to the methods of using the communication server 104 aspreviously discussed herein (see methods 300 and 400 of FIGS. 4 and 5),except that the communication server 904 communicates with thegovernment database 914 through the local law enforcement agency server936 and/or the local law enforcement agency server 936 parses theinformation instead of or in conjunction with the communication server904. The methods of using the government database 914 is the same as orsimilar to the methods of using the government database 114 aspreviously discussed herein (see method 700 of FIG. 7), except that thegovernment database 914 communicates directly with the local lawenforcement agency server 936 instead of the communication server 904.The method of using the law enforcement agency 916 is the same as orsimilar to the methods of using the law enforcement agency 116 aspreviously discussed herein (see method 800 of FIG. 8), except that thelaw enforcement agency 916 can receive the information from the locallaw enforcement agency server 936 instead of the communication server904.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, otheraspects and embodiments are contemplated. The various aspects andembodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and arenot intended to be limiting.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method to screen one or more individuals at anon-law enforcement facility, the method comprising: generating a firstrequest at an access point, the first request including one or moreidentifying information for the one or more individuals, the accesspoint located at and/or near the non-law enforcement facility, theaccess point including memory storage medium including one or moreinstructions stored therein, at least one processor configured toexecute the one or more instructions, one or more input devicesconfigured to receive the one or more identifying information, adisplay, and a first communication transceiver coupled to the processor;with the first communication transceiver, transmitting the first requestto at least one communication server that is not under law enforcementonly control; and with the first communication transceiver, receiving atleast a portion of a local result of a search of at least one localdatabase that is not under law enforcement only control.
 2. The methodof claim 1, further comprising, with the first communicationtransceiver, transmitting the one or more identifying information of theone or more individuals directly to the at least one local database. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein receiving at least a portion of the localresult includes receiving a “cleared” or “not cleared” message from thecommunication server.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least aportion of the local result received by the access point includes:identifying information stored on the at least one local database thatat least partially matched the one or more identifying information ofthe one or more individuals and/or information associated with theidentifying information stored on the at least one local database; andfurther comprising, with the at least one processor of the access point,parsing the information associated with the identifying informationstored on the at least one local database to determine if theinformation associated with the identifying information stored on the atleast one local database is associated with one or more entrancecriterias, the one or more entrance criterias including one or morepreselected criteria that is used to screen the one or more individuals.5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to receivingthe at least a portion of the local result, displaying at least a“cleared” or “not cleared” message using the display.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising, after receiving the at least a portion ofthe local result, transmitting a second request to search at least onegovernment database to the communication server with the firstcommunication transceiver, the second request including the one or moreidentifying information of the one or more individuals.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, further comprising receiving at least a portion of a governmentresult of the search of the at least one government database from thecommunication server.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving atleast a portion of the government result includes receiving a “cleared”or “not cleared” message from the communication server.
 9. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the at least a portion of the government resultreceived by the access point includes: identifying information stored onthe at least one government database that at least partially matched theone or more identifying information of the one or more individuals andinformation associated with the identifying information stored on the atleast one government database; and further comprising, with the at leastone processor of the access point, parsing the information associatedwith the identifying information stored on the at least one governmentdatabase to determine if the information associated with the identifyinginformation stored on the at least one government database is associatedwith one or more entrance criterias, the one or more entrance criteriasincluding one or more preselected criteria that is used to screen theone or more individuals.
 10. The method of claim 7, further comprising,responsive to receiving the at least a portion of the government result,displaying at least a “cleared,” “not cleared,” or “pending” messageusing the display.
 11. A method to screen one or more individuals at anon-law enforcement facility, the method comprising: receiving a firstrequest from an access point at a communication server that is not underlaw enforcement-only control, the first request including one or moreidentifying information of the one or more individuals, thecommunication server including a central processing unit and a secondcommunication transceiver, wherein the second communication transceiveris communicably coupled to the access point; and with the secondcommunication transceiver, transmitting at least the one or moreidentifying information of the one or more individuals to at least onegovernment database; and with the second communication transceiver,receiving a government result of a search of the at least one governmentdatabase, the government result including: identifying informationstored on the at least one government database that at least partiallymatched the one or more identifying information of the one or moreindividuals; and information associated with the identifying informationstored on the at least one government database.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein transmitting at least the one or more identifyinginformation of the one or more individuals to at least one governmentdatabase comprises transmitting at least the one or more identifyinginformation to a local law enforcement agency server.
 13. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising, after receiving the government result,with the second communication transceiver, transmitting at least aportion of the government result to the access point.
 14. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising, after receiving the government result,with the central processing unit, parsing the information associatedwith the identifying information stored on the at least one governmentdatabase to determine if the information associated with the identifyinginformation stored on the at least one government database is associatedwith one or more entrance criteria, the one or more entrance criteriaincluding one or more preselected criteria that is used to screen theone or more individuals.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising,after parsing the information associated with the identifyinginformation stored on the at least one government database, with thesecond communication transceiver, transmitting at least a “cleared” or“not cleared” message to the access point.
 16. The method of claim 11,further comprising, with the second communication device, transmittingat least some of the at least a portion of the government resultreceived by the communication server to at least one of an lawenforcement agency wherein the law enforcement agency is authorized toview the at least some of the at least a portion of the governmentresult.
 17. The method of claim 11, further comprising, with the secondcommunication transceiver, transmitting a “pending” message to theaccess point.
 18. The method of claim 11, further comprising, afterreceiving the first request from the access point, transmitting at leastthe one or more identifying information of the one or more individualsto at least one local database, the communication server communicablycoupled to the at least one local database.
 19. The method of claim 18,further comprising, after transmitting at least the one or moreidentifying information of the one or more individuals to the at leastone local database, with the second communication device, receiving fromthe local database a local result of a search of the at least one localdatabase.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, with thesecond communication device, transmitting at least a portion of thelocal result received by the communication server to the access point.21. A system to screen one or more individuals from a non-lawenforcement facility, the system comprising: an access point at and/ornear the non-law enforcement facility, the access point including memorystorage medium including one or more instructions stored therein, atleast one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions,one or more input devices configured to receive the one or moreidentifying information, a display, and a first communicationtransceiver coupled to the processor; a communication server that is notunder law enforcement only control, the communication server including acentral processing unit and a second communication transceiver coupledto the first communication transceiver; and at least one local databaseoperably coupled to at least one of the access point and/or thecommunication server, the at least one local database stored on memorystorage medium of a general purpose or special purpose computer, the atleast one local database configured to be searched to find matchesbetween the plurality of government results stored thereon and the oneor more identifying information received by the at least one localdatabase, wherein each of the government results includes: identifyinginformation used to generate the government result; and informationassociated with the identifying information used to generate thegovernment result that was found during a previous search of at leastone government database.
 21. The system of claim 21, further comprisinga government controlled domain, the government controlled domainincluding at least one government database operably coupled to thesecond server.
 22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a locallaw enforcement agency servers operably coupled to at least thecommunication server.